Johnny Ashcroft

As a child growing up during the Great Depression in Australia, Ashcroft lived in a bag shack with a dirt floor. An interest in indigenous cultures, in particular Australian Aboriginal culture, was possibly influenced by these humble beginnings.

During World War II, Ashcroft began his career by playing a guitar and singing mainly bush ballads. Ashcroft's first recording took place in 1946, was "When I Waltzed My Matilda Away". It was distributed solely for radio airplay.

In the mid-1940s he traveled with vaudeville shows. While working in the Great Levante Show, he learned about show business traditions and the psychology of live performing from the Great Levante (Les Cole) and one of Australia's greatest vaudevillian comics, Bobby Lebrun.

In 1954, Ashcroft laid down his first commercial recordings. This was followed by his debut album Songs of the Western Trail in 1956.

Ashcroft was the first Australian country artist to appear on Australian TV. In 1956, as the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (then Commission) began transmitting from its tiny Arcon Studio at Gore Hill, Sydney, Johnny wrote and sang the show's title theme, Crazy Cross. He also performed in the show, which was set in Sydney's Kings Cross, New South Wales, with actor Gordon Chater serving as its anchorman.

In 1957, Ashcroft recorded Gordon Parsons's, "A Pub with No Beer". This 45rpm was also released in the US and during a beer strike in Canada. It was not only available on vinyl but anecdotally sold 110 000 copies in Australia, on plastic-coated cardboard records.

They're a Weird Mob, recorded in late 1958, also included the doyens of Australian jazz: Graeme Bell, Don Burrows, John Sangster, George Thompson, Ron Falson together with Noel Smith from the Royal Ballet Orchestra. This skiffle song became Ashcroft's first hit single.

Although the term had not yet been coined, Ashcroft's 1960 song, "Little Boy Lost", was Australia's first country-rock song. Again, it was arranged and recorded by jazzmen, including guitarist George Golla. This song, written by Ashcroft from DJ Tony Withers's idea, tells the story of Steven Walls who became lost from his parents' property at Tubbamurra near Guyra, NSW. Five thousand people, seven aircraft, together with Aboriginal tracker William Stanley, searched the rugged bush country, which was rife with dingos and deadly snakes. He was found alive and well four days later. The search for the Little Boy Lost continues to be Australia's biggest.[1]

At the height of "Little Boy Lost's" success, Ashcroft withdrew his recording from airplay out of consideration for the family of 8-year old Graeme Thorne, the victim of Australia's first kidnapping.

His album Mostly Folk, recorded in the mid-1960s, was re-released under the title, Little Boy Lost and went Gold.

Ashcroft was the first country artist in Australia to have gold records presented on stage, when three were bestowed simultaneously before a live audience in Tamworth, NSW, in 1971. During the ceremony, Ashcroft suggested that Tamworth might consider annual country music record-award presentations in that city. Consequently, two years later, in 1973, Tamworth began promoting itself as Australia's Country Music Capital. With Golden Guitars designed by John Minson, Tamworth had started its journey to eventually become recognised as one of the world's top ten music festivals (2002).

In 1973, Ashcroft and Gay Kayler (Kahler) commenced working together, performing at the Sydney Opera House when, four months after its opening, Ashcroft and Kayler topped the bill in a country music show presented by the Australian Festival Of Performing Arts. Eight weeks later they again starred in the Australian Variety Show in the main Concert Hall of the Sydney Opera House. Both shows were markedly different. They appeared eight times in this venue. In 1973 was the year Ashcroft and Gay Kayler recorded their Faces Of Love album. Each featured in solo performances and duets.

That same year, Ashcroft recorded his fourth hit–an American pop song, Clint Holmes's "Playground In My Mind", which was a hit on the country charts. Ashcroft's 1975 song "Holy Joe the Salvo", became the Salvation Army's 1975 Red Shield Appeal Song.[2]

Ashcroft also wrote Australia's first female trucking song, "My Home-Coming Trucker's Coming Home", recorded by Gay Kayler. It became a country hit, which was also programmed into general airplay. His 1978 And The Band Played Waltzing Matilda, included a faithful cover-reproduction of Fredrick McCubbin's 1889 painting, Down On His Luck.

In another departure from modern country music, Ashcroft appeared on the album, A Time for Change, as his disco-singing alter ego, the Baron. The album also featured Gay Kayler, Ashcroft’s partner (and wife), as Lady Finflingkington, the Baron’s jazz-scatting eccentric consort. From this LP, the Baron released "Sixteen Tons of Hit the Road Jack" a 12-inch, disco single.

In 1989, the milestone historical album, The Cross of the Five Silver Stars, featured Ashcroft, Gay Kayler, Bettybo and their musical director, Rob (Shep) Davis.

The Australian Roll of Renown honours Australian and New Zealander musicians who have shaped the music industry by making a significant and lasting contribution to Country Music. It was inaugurated in 1976 and the inductee is announced at the Country Music Awards of Australia in Tamworth in January.[4]